THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF RETAIL BRANDING.
Last month we wrote an article for The Melbourne Review that explored the direction of market focused specialty retail. In the article we mentioned a client we’d worked with many moons ago who had a concept for an all male retail store. Well, the innovative, revolving retail space STORY is presenting HIS Story for their summer concept, an installation of 140 brands focused on men’s fashion and grooming products.
Last month Boston Consulting Group’s Perspectives publication had a great little article titled Rethinking Corporate Philanthropy. Its main thrust focused on the fact that so many companies lack a strategic underpinning when it comes to their philanthropic giving.
From a brand perspective we have always encouraged our clients to ask themselves how their corporate giving is enhancing their brand, as well as the causes they are supporting. They should be mutually reinforcing, not discreetly different objectives. To this end brands should ideally seek out social causes that have some relationship to the purpose of the brand.
Last year when we created the brand and identity system for the guys at Bounce we had no idea it’d be quite this epic… (Watch the clip after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »
As I continue to get inspiration from Eric Schmidt’s new book, The New Digital Age, Reshaping the future of people, nations and business and the great quote I posted on Facebook “Information, like water, will always find a way through”, it’s time we all made a case for more open data so the information we long for is ready and waiting for us.
The Art of Creating Evocative Spaces
Each June I look forward to clamping my eyes on the work from this year’s Venice Art Biennale. The breadth and quality of work represented guarantees there’s always something inspiring to be seen. This year as I admired the installations I was struck by how the Biennale differs from most exhibitions – and that is by the nature of art created for installation. Art installations take-on an empty, neutral space and create an evocative and meaningful experience for those who enter.
Having worked in the property category, creating brands for apartments, residential developments & larger planned communities for many years, I was struck by the relevance of the Biennale’s work to display execution of property projects. Display suites and larger display centers are first and foremost meant to be spaces that inspire, that move people – spaces that create an emotional response. Yet the universal approach of the industry is so one dimensional – to reflect the interior design of the product, with a brief tip of the hat to local amenity. Having worked on a few, I know all-to-well the consistency of approach – map of community/apartment, house layouts, list of local amenity, location map with local landmarks, photos of happy families/hip young apartment dwellers/empty nesters enjoying their new life style.
What an opportunity there is to take inspiration from the bold, emotive gestures of the Venice Art Biennale and turn your displays into surprising, memorable and striking spaces that move people.
Promises are easily made but delivering on them is a constant challenge for any brand. One of the biggest tests for a brand is not in making the sale – it is in how they respond when the customer has a problem.
How you treat customers and how willing you are to make amends can be the difference between not only losing a customer but also using the opportunity to create a brand advocate.
Just a week after I last wrote about The Rise and Potential Fall of the Tom Waterhouse Brand, Tom publicly apologised for excessive use of advertising. In the same breath that he apologised he justified the former over use of his advertising campaigns because of the need to keep up with overseas players in the market and that competition is good for punters. He went on to say “Because I stand up as the bookmaker, and do not present as a faceless corporation, I also have, somehow, become the public face of the entire Australian gambling industry.” An obviously intelligent young man, it’s surprising that Tom didn’t see this coming.
The wedding industry is a fairly unique retail category, with short-term customers who, whilst being ultra-committed, are generally inexperienced in the area and unlikely to bring repeat business. Brands in this sector are notorious for exploiting these short-term relationships by overcharging and often under-delivering. Read the rest of this entry »
Behind Every Great Agency Is…
Often we are asked what makes our branding studio ‘chug’ along like a well oiled machine? Our agency is no different from any other well run business, the secret to our success is organization, systems and processes. We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 tips for best practice in a creative practice to share with you.
The Dutch do not have to market to me. I love Amsterdam and I love the confident and friendly demeanor of the people living there. But for the Americans who have not been touched by what Holland has to offer, the launch in May of the campaign ‘Holland: The Original Cool’ is sure to stimulate some attention. Read the rest of this entry »
